Expert recommendations of the top events—with tips on how to best experience these celebrations.
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International Film Festival
April. Downtown cinemas screen 200-plus foreign and Turkish films, many with actors, directors in attendance. English and Turkish subtitles when possible. www.iksv.org/film/english/
HAFEM International Folkdance Festival
June. Four nights of colorful ethnic dance/music by performers from five to seven countries. Open-air theater in Selamiçeşme Özgürlük Park. Tip: Performances begin 8:30 p.m., but enthusiastic audiences arrive early. www.folkdancehalay.com
ULIS Fotofest
May/June. Launched in 2007, weeklong themed photography festival organized by Turkish, Greek, and Dutch photography foundations. www.ulisphotofest.org/
International Jazz Festival
July. Attracts world-class stars (Norah Jones, Wynton Marsalis) and perennial Turkish favorites like Kerem Görsev, İlhan Erşahin. Tip: Many performances held at historic venues, including sixth-century Aya İrini Church and grand Ottoman residences such as Esma Sultan, Sepetçiler Kasrı. www.iksv.org/caz
Istanbul Design Week
September. Staged on historic Galata Bridge. Exhibitions of international and homegrown fashion, corporate, environmental, industrial design. Tip: Close to tourist district, an easy eclectic addition to any schedule. www.istanbuldesignweek.com/tanitim_eng.htm
